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The new Knob Creek Rye went on sale this month in some states and will be out nationwide by July.

I’m not sure why given our country’s Anglo heritage, American distillers adopted the less usual Irish spelling of whiskey, with an “e,” but in the case of Knob Creek’s new Rye whiskey, you can just think of the “e” as standing for “excellent.”

This is not altogether surprising, given that Knob Creek, the boutique high-end line of Jim Beam, already makes exceptional craft bourbons, arguably the best on the market and certainly among them. Just as the company timed its entry into the burgeoning high-end bourbon market at precisely the right time in the late Eighties, so does it introduce this new product just as the retro classic cocktail trend has inspired an industry shift towards rye (rye is made from rye, bourbon from corn).

Or as the company explains it, “In the early 1900s, rye whiskey was the most popular spirit in America. However Prohibition forced many whiskey fans to turn toward the sweeter, more robust flavor of bourbon. Now, thanks to the growing interest in high-quality craft spirits and the resurgence of contemporary cocktail culture brought about by the success of Super-Premium brands such as Knob Creek, bartenders and curious drinkers alike are turning to bourbon’s spicier counterpart, rye whiskey.” I won’t debate the linguistic logistics of how something contemporary can be experiencing a resurgence, but I did have occasion to taste a sample Knob Creek provided and it sure was good.

“Regular” Knob Creek, or the original bourbon, is 100 proof, considerably higher than the 80 proof some bourbons are bottled at, and likewise, the rye is also 100 proof, and bottled in almost identical packaging with the signature flat rectangular bottle and wax covered cork. The label reads “small batch, patiently aged” and the contents are a blend of ryes up to 9-years old. The rye is lighter in color, but more straightforward and easier drinking than the bourbon, which is really saying something.

The rye is surprisingly smooth and low impact on the palate for something that is 50% alcohol, and instead of any kind of burn, there is just warmth on the finish. The company describes it as “spicy” in their tasting notes, but to me the flavor is more redolent of the herbal character of rye - what spice comes through is tasted shortly after you finish drinking. The main difference between this and the Knob Creek bourbon is that the rye is drier, without the sweetness that bourbon gets from corn’s sugar, which in turn allows you to taste the underlying favor profile. Besides the rye, the other important ingredient is barrel aging in charred new oak, which has a real impact, as the oak and a slight charcoal flavor comes through. It is immediately apparent that this is a very well-made spirit, and if you like domestic whiskies, you will almost certainly like the new Knob Creek Rye.

The company is positioning it as a base for both new and classic cocktails, and while it will certainly make good Manhattans and Old Fashioneds, I believe that almost all top quality spirits, with the possible exception of gin, stand on their own and are best neat or with ice, and since I completely abhor and disdain most modern cocktail culture and pretentious self-proclaimed “mixologists,” I’ll leave it to you to adulterate Knob Creek Rye, something that tastes just fine on its own, thank you very much.

The new Knob Creek Rye is so new it is not even on the company’s website yet, but the actual product was slowly rolled out in a few select markets this month (March 2012), so an avid fan could pick up a bottle in select states (or order a bottle from those states), including PA, OR, WA, WV, NC, and MI. The rye goes on sale nationwide in July. The suggested retail price is $36.